Vaid Empire: Mother of Tentacles
Epilogue
Several Years Later.
Domani, Capital of The Vaid Empire.
Life echoed below as Zela studied the vast city. High atop the balcony, her favorite place to appreciate the sights of the grand Capital, she sipped from a cup as she listened peacefully.
A vision of tentacles reaching from the sky above her home flashed through her mind. She shook her head. Her child would bring pleasure to the world.
She rested a hand upon her flat belly with a thought of him, missing the days when his tiny tentacles squirmed within her womb. She had given birth long ago, leaving her empty. Still she felt his presence. Still she felt his strange whispers caressing her mind from afar.
Their time together had been short. The Triumvirate called for him. To remain would lead to certain death, for her father would have slaughtered the tentacled spawn of his daughter. Though devastated to part with him, she had known what was necessary long before his birth. Shortly after he had slipped from her loins, she tore open another tear in the fabric of reality and sent him to his true home.
Now she waited.
“Weep, weep for those who came before.”
The voice echoed inside her head, deep and alien. Zela could not conceal a grin as she turned her back upon the world outside and stepped into the pyramid. “Synaalag?”
She could feel him luring her forth. Though alone in the bedchamber, she felt unseen tendrils caressing her mind. Long had she been expecting his return. She could sense him in the depths of the dark realm beyond, having grown considerably.
“Where are the others?” To her surprise, she felt only his mind in the darkness as she concentrated, straining to peer as deep into his universe as she could manage. “Where is The Triumvirate?”
“Silence fills an empty world now that they are gone, yet The Artist may not rest, for his work continues on.”
Her blood ran cold. “Gone? What happened?” She dreaded the answer, yet it never came. Only silence lingered as she spoke into the empty air of the bedchamber. “Wait for me. I’ll open a tear.”
Already had she said her temporary goodbyes, even to those that hadn’t understood she intended to depart. If only for a short time, she had long planned to reunite with her child.
Before she could act, a tear appeared before her, ripping into her universe. Matching her height, the hole was larger than she could possibly hope to conjure. “How did…”
Through the tear, dark tentacles emerged. The tips of each one glowed a deep red.
“The Silver Vessel must come. Into the darkness, a mother’s place is with her son.”
The tentacles waited, dripping upon the stone floor.
Zela felt the smallest hint of doubt, yet no mother should fear her own child. He had grown well beyond what she had expected to find, a creature radiating a power surpassing her own, though she had made her choice long ago.
With a fragile smile, she accepted the grasp of the nearest tentacle. It took her hand, leading her towards the tear.
She paused to glance back at the familiar surroundings of her home. Then, turning away, she followed the tentacles to join her son.
Stepping through the tear in reality, she plunged into darkness.
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So ends Vaid Empire: Mother of Tentacles.
It has been a long process to complete this series, and I have many thoughts that I would like to share. In the wake of the ending, I have written a long Retrospective that you can find HERE. It offers many details about the creation of the series, the characters, old plot lines, and discusses the future.
There is also a short survey about the ending where you can share your thoughts HERE. It will remain available indefinitely, so even if you read this years later, you can still share your opinions.
Feel free to check out either of those posts if you are interested. Regardless, thank you all very much for joining me on this journey, and I sincerely hope you all enjoyed!